Patience is not often a popular thing in football, yet Manchester United have seen its merits in recent times, not least with the rise of a certain Amad Diallo.
The deal to sign the Atalanta teenager was initially announced back in October 2020, prior to his eventual arrival in January 2021, albeit with it having arguably taken until this season for that £19m addition to bear fruit.
Having been on the periphery under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, before spending time out on loan at Rangers and Sunderland, the Ivorian remained a bit-part player under Erik ten Hag, even despite his FA Cup heroics against Liverpool last term.
It has taken the arrival of Ruben Amorim for the 22-year-old’s stock to truly soar, with the wing wizard already registering more goal involvements under the Portuguese than he did under any other previous United boss.
From his dazzling displays at the Etihad and Anfield, to his crucial hat-trick against bottom side Southampton, the £120k-per-week sensation had been the shining light of 2024/25, prior to suffering his cruel injury setback last month.
Manager
Games
Goals
Assists
Erik ten Hag
24
3
3
Ruben Amorim
20
6
5
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
8
1
1
Ruud van Nistelrooy
4
2
1
Ralf Rangnick
1
0
0
Michael Carrick
0
0
0
Total
57
12
9
Regardless of the halt to his impact, Amad looks like a genuine star at Old Trafford. The question remains, why didn’t Ten Hag see it?
How Amad earned his big chance at United
Not every player can follow the Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo route by thrusting themselves straight into the limelight in their teenage years, with the pair notably scoring in last season’s FA Cup final under Ten Hag.
For others, the path to becoming a first-team regular is not quite as smooth, a fact that has also played out elsewhere. Take William Saliba, for example, with the Frenchman signed by Arsenal in 2019, before ultimately making his debut for the Gunners in 2022.
Now part of the “best [centre-back] partnership in Europe”, according to Martin Keown, the 24-year-old – and the north London side – have flourished following that gradual progression. The same could now be true of Amad.
Indeed, the diminutive forward spent the tail-end of 2021/22 in Glasgow, before moving to the Stadium of Light for the following campaign, with that drop into the Championship seeing the youngster score 14 times in what was a breakthrough year.
Frustratingly, an injury sustained on the summer tour of 2023 hampered his involvement back at United at the start of the next season, although even upon his return to action, he was utilised sparingly by Ten Hag, despite netting against Liverpool in March.
After signing off 2023/24 with a notable strike against Newcastle United, Amad was then the star of pre-season after scoring against both Rangers and Real Betis, although after starting the new campaign in the side, he swiftly faded from view.
Since netting a brace against PAOK under Ruud van Nistelrooy – as well as assisting Marcus Rashford in Amorim’s first game in charge – he simply hasn’t looked back, however, taking his chance with both hands and swiftly overtaking the likes of Antony in the process.
The Ten Hag favourite who now needs to be sold
What makes the slow rise of Amad all the more headscratching is that Ten Hag and co were so keen to favour others above him, with Antony having been the go-to man on the right flank under the Dutchman’s watch.
Signed for £86m in the summer of 2022, the Brazilian was almost doomed to fail from the outset amid the sizeable nature of the price tag, particularly considering that United had been quoted around £25m during Solskjaer’s time at the helm.
After a strong start that included three goals in his first three Premier League outings, the polarising winger struggled to maintain that early impact, albeit while notching notable strikes in the Europa League against both Betis and Barcelona.
Antony’s stock plummeted even further in 2023/24 as it took until January to register his first goal away at Newport County, with the only real highlight of that campaign having been his well-taken strike against Liverpool in that 4-3 thriller.
A player who boasts just 12 goals and five assists for United in 96 games in total, the 24-year-old was arguably undeserving of the continued favouritism shown toward him, albeit with ex-coach Benni McCarthy revealing that Ten Hag viewed him to be “better” than the likes of Amad in that wide berth.
“Tactically, when we set up, the manager [Ten Hag] felt that Antony was the best, better player for the job that he wanted because he knew Antony from Ajax. He was his player, so he invested in him, and the club supported him.
“So, of course, he had to support the player that he bought, I think that’s why he persisted in playing Antony. It’s because he knew the capabilities when Antony was at his best.”
That view has already come back to bite Ten Hag considering that Amad has already eclipsed Antony’s goals and assist total from just 57 United games, having contributed 12 goals and nine assists to date.
Journalist Samuel Luckhurst even quipped earlier in the campaign that Amad was playing “like a man suitably insulted by the suggestion Antony should play ahead of him because of his training form”, with Ten Hag having revealed that was the reason why Antony was introduced off the bench ahead of the Ivorian against Fenerbahce.
Having since seen what the one-time Atalanta starlet can do when handed a consistent run of game time, the former Ajax boss may be regretting his handling of the youngster.
As for Antony, having now shown glimpses on loan in Spain – with eight goals and assists in 11 games for Betis – Amorim and co must capitalise on that recent resurgence to find a suitable buyer for him this summer.
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